Reducing Bad Fats

Diets high in bad fats are associated with an increased incidence of depression. Studies have shown that diets designed to lower LDL cholesterol levels may have the double benefit of reducing the risk of depression.

Recently, health experts have started to recommend that people eliminate "trans fat" from their diet. This fat, formed during a process called hydrogenation, converts a relatively healthy unsaturated liquid fat, like corn oil, into a solid one. Although this process gives a food longer shelf life, it also makes the fat act like a saturated fat in our bodies. Too many saturated fats have been associated with an array of health problem, including depression. Avoiding or reducing intake of fried foods, baked goods, partially hydrogenated oil, and red meat can help reduce saturated fat from the diet.

Increasing Good Fats

Diets high in omega-3 fatty acids, found in deep-water fish, are associated with an decreased incidence of depression and suicide. Depression can be caused by an omega-3 deficiency, which can be corrected by eating more fish, nuts, whole grains, beans, and seeds.

Omega-3s are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The fish oil PUFAs include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenioc acid (DHA). EPA increases blood flow, affects hormones and the immune system; all of which have a direct effect on brain function. DHA, on the other hand, is involved in the membrane of ion channels in the brain, making it easier for them to change shape and transit electrical signals.

Dietary omega-3s may be particularly protective against depression. Depression is 60 times more common in New Zealand than in Japan, where the Japanese get far more omega-3 from fish.86 In conclusion, those at risk for depression might want to increase their intake of cold-water fish such as salmon, halibut, tuna and bluefish.

A 2007 study determined that improving the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 in the diet can improve mood and reduce depression. Researchers from Ohio State University took blood samples from 43 older adults (average age 67), calculated PUFA levels, and established that people with high ratios of omega-6 to omega-3 were more likely to suffer from depression. Omega-6 essential fatty acids can be found in a variety of oils including flax, safflower, sesame, hemp, soybean, and evening primrose.

References
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